Futile: France goalkeeper Mike Maignan tries to save a penalty kick by Poland’s Robert Lewandowski. — AP
LEIPZIG: France conceded a late penalty against Poland on Tuesday which cost them top spot in Group C of Euro 2024, and keeper Mike Maignan did not appreciate Robert Lewandowski’s stuttering technique, or the spot-kick rules in general.
Maignan was left aggrieved by Lewandowski’s stop-start run-up after he saved the initial effort but was himself penalised for stepping off the line before the kick was taken, and the Pole made no mistake at the second attempt.
The first penalty was weak, and Maignan, who went the right way, had little trouble getting a hand to it, but while the French players rushed to congratulate their keeper, Lewandowski was appealing to the referee.
A VAR check confirmed that Maignan had left his line too early, perhaps not surprising given how long it took Lewandowski to arrive at the ball, but feinting in the run-up is allowed, while feinting to kick the ball is not.
Lewandowski usually makes two feints when approaching the ball, but for the retake he appeared to take an extra, slight pause, and he struck the ball to the same side, a little stronger and into the corner, which Maignan could not reach.
“As the attacker begins his 87th feint in his run-up,” Maignan titled his story posted on Instagram.
“New IFAB rules for penalties in 2026: Goalkeepers must have their backs turned at the time of the shot. In case of a save, an indirect free kick.”
Maignan is clearly unhappy with the International Football Association Board (IFAB) clamping down on keepers’ antics during a penalty kick, also including in his latest story a post from 2023 when new rules came in to stop keepers distracting the penalty taker.
It may have taken him two attempts against Maignan, but Lewandowski’s impressive record speaks for itself, having converted 80 penalties throughout his career while missing only nine, and is not about to change the technique he has perfected.
The goal gave Poland a 1-1 draw with France, their first point as they exited the tournament, and the French had to settle for second spot behind Austria in the group. — Reuters
